Digital Manga: An Interview with the Editor of Weekly Shonen Jump

I have to admit. Several years ago, my kids and I used to go to any site that had up-to-date translated Bleach manga. Tito Kube did not get a dime; I am a horrible person. Ok. I feel better now with that confession. I’m also feeling great that there’s no reason to look at random internet manga anymore.

Weekly Shonen Jump is digital and released the same day as Japan. Legally getting your manga fix could never be easier.

To be even more honest, I stopped reading internet manga, less because of my conscience, and more because I hate reading on my computer. It was awkward. My kids and I would wait for the bound, book versions to buy or check out from our library instead. That’s why I wasn’t sure I would enjoy reading the digital version of Shonen Jump, but I shouldn’t have been worried. The site is easy to navigate, the art is clear, and you can choose which layout suits you best to view the pages. If you have a tablet, I’m sure it’s even more convenient.

I was given promotional issues by VizMedia, and my son and I checked it out. Here are the ones I liked best:

Right away, Toriko made me laugh. It’s about cooking battles, but these battles are more on the actual battlefield with weapons than the kitchen. Ridiculously amusing. Nisekoi is about two teens of gang bosses who are fake dating, but obviously like each other.

One-Punch Man has monsters, battles, drawn well, and very, very silly. A monster is about to fight a boy with a ludicrous chin. The main character isn’t sure he wants to get involved, but then: “Wait. With the birth rate so low, I can’t let you kill that kid.” Why I find the reference to Japan’s demographic issues as the only reason to save a child so amusing…don’t know, but I giggled.

And then got reacquainted with Bleach. Legally.

Andy Nakatani is the Editor in Chief of Weekly Shonen Jump. He took time to answer some questions I had about manga in general for North American audiences. I love asking editors to choose their favorites; they’re like parents refusing to do it! He obviously loves his work.

GM: How much freedom do you have to select which manga make it into WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP (comparing to the Japanese version?)

Andy: We work pretty closely with Shueisha and Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan to select what goes into the lineup. Now that we’re releasing on the same day as Japan, we’re selecting series based on what’s new and current. Of course, the colorized version of DRAGON BALL is an exception to that, but at least for this year, that’s what we’re thinking. Part of the reasoning for this is that seeing series come and go is a part of what Weekly Shonen Jump is all about in Japan, so now our readers will get to experience that aspect of it too. Also, as you can tell from our current lineup, we’ve got the freedom and flexibility to go beyond what runs in Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. So we’ve got BLUE EXORCIST and RUROUNI KENSHIN: RESTORATION from JUMP SQUARE, YU-GI-OH! Zexal from VJUMP, and ONE-PUNCH MAN, which is an online series from Young Jump’s website, Tonari no Young Jump.

GM: Do you ever get to interact with the Japanese artists and writers about your audience here?

Andy:We mostly go through the editorial department in Japan, so we don’t usually get to interact directly with the creators. But it’s understandable when you consider that they have these really tight deadlines and have to create new chapters week after week. They are very conscious of their audience and readership here though. Our January 21st simultaneous launch issue even featured a page with a message from Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of NARUTO, congratulating us on the launch of our simultaneous releases. And Yusuke Murata, the artist for ONE-PUNCH MAN, even tweeted about us when we added the series to the line-up, as well as about our simultaneous relaunch.

We also occasionally invite the artists over here for conventions and signing events, some of them actually do get to directly interact with the fans here. Masakazu Katsura (creator ZETMAN, I”S, character designer for TIGER AND BUNNY) was at New York Comic Con last year, and a few years back, Tite Kubo, the creator of BLEACH, came to San Diego.

GM: With graphic novels becoming more mainstream as a genre in America, do you think this has helped manga?

Andy: Sure. Whether it’s manga, superhero stuff, or obscure indie fare, comics are comics as far as I’m concerned. The more people reading the better. Now, whether or not this has a direct correlation with sales is a different matter…

GM: What current storyline is your personal favorite right now?

Andy:It’s really difficult to choose… I have high hopes for WORLD TRIGGER, the newest series to join the lineup, as well as for ONE-PUNCH MAN, with creator ONE’s comic sensibility combined with Yusuke Murata’s incredibly dynamic artwork. But the most recent Punk Hazard storyline in ONE PIECE was great. Eiichiro Oda is so amazing a creator – he somehow manages to combine perfect amounts of crazed wackiness, action, sentimentality, and over-the-top artwork. I can’t wait for what’s coming up next!

GM:What do you think the future holds for graphic novels in general, and manga in particular for American audiences?

Andy: Hopefully, more and more people will get into manga. And while the digital medium is not a complete replacement for books in print, I think it provides a convenient platform for people to start reading, and maybe it will bring in a new audience who wouldn’t have necessarily been exposed to manga before.

Thank, Andy! If you are a fan of exciting and funny stories and art, check out Weekly Shonen Jump.

Rebecca Angel is a homeschooling mother, creative arts teacher, and musician in upstate NY. She is into graphic novels, anime, table-top games, and funky tights. ,